Caught Up
by TheWanderingMiko
Summary: A one shot SessKag ficlet.


_Don't wake me, we're together just you and me._

_Don't wake me, because we're happy like we used to be._

Sesshomaru hated this era, he hated how busy it was; and how noisy it was; hell at the moment he even hated how damn soft the sheets were. Most of all he hated that she wasn't there anymore.

Kagome had passed away long ago and still, centuries later he still had dreams about her. It was when he woke up from these dreams that he hated everything, because there was nothing he could do to bring her back in all that she was. He missed her smile, the softness of her skin, the smell of her hair. Who was he kidding, he missed everything about the human miko.

Part of him wondered if they'd meet in their next lives, there was nothing he wanted more in this world.

Rolling over, he imagined her there, cuddling up to him in her sleep like she used to, her hair ratted and just a bit messy. If she'd really been there he would have leaned and kissed her forehead-as he usually had when he awoke in the middle of the night-then settled close to her and tried once again for sleep.

She wasn't there, however and with a sad and weary sigh, he closed his eyes and waited for morning.

Hours later the sun finally showed it's head and the daiyoukai dragged himself from his bed to start the day no less hateful that she wasn't in it than he had been when he awoke from the dream. Still, he crossed the carpet to his dresser, pulled out a dress shirt, slacks and a tie for work and proceeded to get dressed. Miserable or not, he had to make a living and that living was teaching at the local college.

Kagome awoke to the sound of her alarm clock telling her that it was time to get up, just another day closer to graduation, and another day without Inuyasha and her friends. Checking her clock, she noted that if she stayed in bed she would be late, pushed the comforter back, and hurried to get dressed in her school uniform before it was time to leave.

The well didn't work anymore now that the jewel was complete-at least it hadn't each and every time she'd jumped into it-and here she was, stranded. There was nothing familiar here anymore outside of her family, the world she'd been born to was not her own anymore. She didn't feel right going to school when her friends were likely risking their lives where she couldn't get to them. But she couldn't just sit around here and do nothing because that was even worse.

So, she pulled on her shoes and started the walk to school.

Sesshomaru paced slowly along the sidewalk, ignoring the looks and comments that his appearance drew from people. He'd decided to take a different route to work than he usually did today, so the people that had gotten used to seeing him walking to work were not there. He couldn't have told you why he'd decided to take a different route to work, it had just been what he'd done. Given the comments he was wondering if-in fact-it hadn't been a bad idea in the first place.

But when he raised his golden gaze, any question of the decision was gone when-through a proverbial sea of students-a familiar pair of deep brown eyes met his. The demon's breath caught, his eyes widened and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ka-...gome...?"

The walk to school itself was rather boring until Eri, Yuka and Ayumi had caught up with her by Wacdonalds. They chattered and giggled, pushing Kagome's misery to bay as they did and passing the entire walk to school in a chipper blur.

Everything was fine until they got to school, she was halfway through a sentence when a familiar face through the crowd stopped her. Her feet stopped working and her friends turned curiously to ask what was the matter before she broke into a dead run towards the familiar face.

"Sesshomaru!"

Golden eyes looked down on her with something comparative to shock as she all but tripped to a halt before him where he stood, wearing an expensive looking suit and carrying a briefcase. How did he get here?!

It was her, wearing that atrocious uniform that she'd worn when she'd first appeared in his world and staring at him as if he were the best thing she'd seen in a long time. Very slowly, a clawed hand reached and stroked her cheek, it was really her, she was really there!

Without a second thought, his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her tight against him.

The dark haired girl blinked as the normally stoic demon pulled her into a hug, but she didn't fight.

"Are you okay...?" she asked curiously, quirking an eyebrow at him and his face softened ever so slightly, something she'd never seen. He gave no verbal answer before he leaned and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. A bit unsettled at the sudden show of affection from him, she turned a confused look up to him and that was when she really saw it.

There was something about him, something older than he had been, something more tired about him. Eyes widened in realization.

This was the Sesshomaru of her time, the one that had lived all of the years between then and now.

He watched as her eyes settled into a sort of sad realization and he smiled. She'd told him a long time ago about the well, it had been raining that night and they'd stayed up all night talking with the fire burning down to embers in her hut.

"There will come a day when I should tell you something very important and I don't. So I am going to tell you this now and I beg you to please remember it." She gave him a confused nod.

"Okay...?" He ran a hand through her hair and over her cheek again, holding it gently.

But he couldn't say it, he couldn't tell her that he loved her more than life itself, that he didn't pass a single day without wishing she were right there by his side once again. Why? Because he didn't know where this was in their time line, he didn't dare ruin his future with her; she meant too much to him.

So he leaned and cupped her face in his hands before pressing another kiss to her forehead. And he walked away.


End file.
